Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-11-03


addressed fine meetings at Flushing
Culersin and Barnesville last week
Tie writer attended the meeting at
Colerain Thursday afternoon, and was
delighted with the fervency and power
with which Gen. Hurst spoke, and with
the reception ofhis speech by the people
The question of taxation Was frst Ia
ken up. and treated with great clearness.
and many features discussed in such
manner, and such facts presented, as
will set people to thinking.
This is d matter Gen. Hurst has given
much Thought and Intelligent investiga-
tioD. He thinks all species of property
should be valued for taxation "at its
true value in money" as the law re
quir-s, and that additional legislation is
needed and iron clad methods should be
adopted that will put upon the tax dnr
phcdte every dullar of taxable property
of very species. Unnum hered millions
o. personal effects wholly escape taxa
non Many persons attempt TO justify
the evasion of taxes upon property they
can hide, because visible real property
is frequently assessed at 40 or so per
centum of its true value. The diVi
dends upon bank shares, in this county
estimated at $50, 900. wholly escape tax =
alton. The lien for taxes of property OF
individuals attaches on the day pre-
ceding the second Monday of April.
weeks afterward on the Wednesday pre-
ceding the second Monday of May.
Then the banks certify off their books
dividends to stockholders, and the money
goes into the pockets of stockholders, OF
to their credit in bank. Thus. the lien
for taxes upon property of individuals
attaching on the day preceding the sec~
ond Monday of April, and upon bank
shares on the Wednesday preceding the
second Monday of May, the interim sf
fords an escape from taxation of all the
dividends of the banks. Enormous
evasions that had come under his pert
sonal observation were cited.
The statute providing for equalization
of real property. folio wing the decennial
appraisement, should be- so amended as
to provide for township boards of equal
izatioD. AS the law exists, individual
cases have to be acted upon by the cOun
ty board, consisting of the Commission
ers, Auditor and Surveyor. Freq uently
none of them know anything whatever
of the relative values of farms. whereas
three intelligent farmers of the towD~
ship would have accurate knowledge OF
the value of all farms of the township.
Laws framed after the fashion sug>
gested, aud intelligently and courageous
ly executed, would lessen the burdens of
taxation upon all honest men, and espe>
cially upon the real property of the
state.
The liquor traffic was then taken up.
and its relations to the state and society
discussed.
Tne speaker thinks the drinking of 4
2 sss of beer or wine not necessarily
hurtful; but he presents serious Objec
tIons to the saloon. 10 Germany men
take their wives and daughters to the
beer garden, aud sip their wine or beer
aud converse with their neignbors, with
out hearing an Objectionable word or
witnessing any thing that would bring Il
flush to the face of the most refined per
S ~. Then the individual must, before
opening place of that kind. present "a
petition to the burgonaster, or other
authority, signed by majority of the
freeholders and residents OF certain
squares or district, setting forth that
such place is desired. Here any one is
at liberty to engsge in the traffic, and
the walls of the saloon are covered with
lewd pictures and resound with the
lascivious song aud the rude jest.
TIE treating" habit is bad one,
peculiar TO our country. In Europe a
man would be iDsulted at such pros
posal A half dozen or more men meet
in a saloon in the evening, and against
they have treated" all around all go
home with their stomachs full Of beer,
to scold their wives and abuse their
children. If that pernicious habit
did not prevail, one drink, perhaps.
would have been sufficient for each of
them, and the evening spent soberly at
home.
Uuder the COMMON law, the traffic in
liquors is as free as the trahic in bread.
Statutes have been adopted governing
1t, and every law passed relating TO the
traffic is, therefore. restrictive. If pub-
lie sentiment demands the prohibition
of the saloon in % unicipality, the mu-
nicipslity should have the power to
adopt prohibitive measures. If public
sentiment does not demand such q meas
ure, it could not be enforced, and should
not be adopted.
No other matters we're treated. The
speech Was the neeatieSt TIE writer has
listened to in years, and furnished much
food for reflection.
The party accompanying Gen. Hurst,
(Messrs. a. T. McKelvey, j ohm c. Kint-
ner, and ]. B. Longley) we're entertained
at dinner at the hospita BILE home of VIM.
A. Sharon, Esq, and at supper by friend
Jacob Maule. Indeed the good people |
were all anxious to entertain and make
the visit pleasant one. A couple of
hours we're spent 10 pleasant conversa>
ton after supper, aud then Il delightful
moonlight drive home.
REPUBLICANS should every where bear
in mind the Importance of voting. The